Hibnick v. Google Inc.

Filing 121

OBJECTIONS to re 120 Proposed Order by Electronic Privacy Information Center. (Attachments: # 1 Appendix 1, # 2 Appendix 2, # 3 Appendix 3, # 4 Appendix 4, # 5 Appendix 5, # 6 Appendix 6, # 7 Appendix 7, # 8 Appendix 8, # 9 Appendix 9, # 10 Appendix 10, # 11Appendix 12, # 12 Appendix 13, # 13 Appendix 11)(Friedman, Philip) (Filed on 3/30/2011) Modified on 4/1/2011 (cv, COURT STAFF).

Appendix 3 – EPIC’s Application for cy pres Funds in In Re: Google Buzz Privacy
Litigation (submitted to the Rose Foundation Mar. 14, 2011)

Application
 Coversheet

1.

2.

Name
 of
 Applicant
 Organization
 and
 EIN
 Number

Electronic
 Privacy
 Information
 Center
 (“EPIC”)
 (EIN:
 52-­2225921)

Type
 of
 organization:

 501c(3)

Contact
 Information:

Contact
 Person,
 Title
 Marc
 Rotenberg,
 EPIC
 Executive
 Director

Address

1718
 Connecticut
 Ave,
 NW,
 Suite
 200

Washington,
 DC
 20009

[phone] x106

Email

3.

Telephone

[e-mail]

Financial
 Information:

(a)

your
 organization’s
 overall
 annual
 2011
 operating
 budget

$1,063,688

(b)

  total
  amount
  of
  money
  spent
  on
  Internet
  privacy
  or
  Internet

education
 programs
 in
 2010

$1,015,950

(c)

total amount of funding your organization received, if any, in
contributions from Google, Inc. or the Google Foundation in 2010

$2007

7
 EPIC
 received
 approximately
 $200
 in
 2010
 from
 Google
 as
 a
 result
 of
 matches
 from

contributions
 from
 individual
 Google
 employees
 to
 EPIC.
 EPIC
 did
 not
 receive
 any

contributions
 directly
 from
 Google
 or
 any
 other
 private
 company,
 nor
 does
 EPIC

accept
 in-­‐kind
 services,
 such
 as
 Google
 Fellows.
 EPIC
 has
 adopted
 this
 policy
 to

1

(d)

  amount
  of
  funding
  you
  are
  requesting
  from
  this
  Settlement

fund

$1,750,000

For
 questions
 4
 &
 5,
 you
 may
 submit
 a
 narrative
 response
 up
 to
 4
 pages,
 BUT

YOU
 MUST
 submit
 a
 brief
 description
 of
 no
 more
 than
 one
 paragraph.
 The

coversheet
 must
 fit
 on
 one
 page.

4.

5.

Briefly
  describe
  any
  of
  your
  organization’s
  existing
  policy
  or
  education

programs
  concerning
  Internet
  privacy
  issues
  –
  make
  sure
  to
  include
  the

number
 of
 years
 you
 have
 had
 programming
 focused
 on
 Internet
 privacy.

EPIC
 was
 established
 in
 1994
 to
 focus
 public
 attention
 on
 emerging

privacy
 and
 civil
 liberties
 issues.
 For
 more
 than
 sixteen
 years,
 EPIC
 has

remained
 the
 leading
 advocate
 in
 the
 United
 States
 for
 Internet
 users’

privacy
 rights.
 EPIC
 pursues
 a
 comprehensive
 program
 of
 research,

education,
 policy
 development,
 and
 advocacy
 that
 protects
 Internet

users’
 rights
 and
 promotes
 consumer
 privacy.
 EPIC
 promotes
 Internet

users’
 privacy
 rights
 before
 Congress,
 federal
 agencies,
 and
 the
 courts.

We
 educate
 consumers
 through
 EPIC’s
 websites,
 print
 publications,
 and

public
 education
 events.
 EPIC’s
 activities
 and
 mission
 are
 directly

aligned
 with
 the
 interests
 of
 the
 class.
 (See
 attachment.)

Briefly
  describe
  the
  particular
  program
  that
  funding
  from
  this
  Settlement

would
  support
  and
  describe
  how
  it
  would
  benefit
  the
  Class
  by
  furthering

policy
 or
 education
 concerning
 Internet
 privacy.

EPIC
 seeks
 general
 funding
 to
 continue
 and
 expand
 several
 EPIC

Projects
 and
 EPIC
 Programs
 that
 protect
 the
 privacy
 of
 Internet
 users.

Funding
 from
 the
 Google
 Buzz
 cy
 pres
 Fund
 to
 EPIC
 would
 directly

support
 privacy
 policy
 and
 privacy
 education
 that
 would
 advance
 the

interests
 of
 Internet
 users
 and
 protect
 the
 interests
 of
 the
 class.
 (See

attachment.

 EPIC’s
 Activities
 Are
 Directly
 Aligned
 with
 the
 Class’s
 Interests

EPIC’s
 activities
 and
 mission
 are
 directly
 aligned
 with
 the
 interests
 of

the
 class.
 EPIC
 was
 established
 in
 1994
 specifically
 to
 focus
 public
 attention
 on

“emerging
 privacy
 and
 civil
 liberties
 issues.”
 EPIC’s
 core
 mission
 is
 to
 promote

education
 and
 pursue
 policies
 that
 safeguard
 privacy.
 EPIC
 has
 pursued
 this

mission
 for
 17
 years.

remain
 independent
 and
 to
 protect
 the
 interests
 of
 Internet
 users
 and
 class

members.

2

In
 fact,
 the
 issues
 on
 which
 this
 settlement
 is
 based
 flow
 directly
 from

EPIC’s
 February
 2010
 filing
 before
 the
 Federal
 Trade
 Commission
 on
 behalf
 of

Internet
 users
 regarding
 Google
 Buzz.
 It
 was
 EPIC
 that
 identified
 the
 risks
 to

Internet
 users
 and
 urged
 the
 Commission
 to
 act
 to
 safeguard
 Internet
 privacy.

EPIC routinely provides research and expert commentary on emerging
privacy issues. EPIC plays a leading role on behalf of Internet users in Washington,
DC. Based on extensive research and careful consideration of consumer interests,
EPIC files complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal
Communications Commission in support of consumer protection. We comment on
agency proposals that impact consumer privacy. EPIC leads efforts to establish
strong privacy policies for individuals’ sensitive information, and EPIC is an
authoritative voice on issues as diverse as consumer privacy, identity theft,
locational privacy, search engine privacy, anonymity/reidentification, and spam.
This summary provides a brief overview of EPIC’s programs and activities.

EPIC
 Before
 Federal
 Agencies:
 Safeguarding
 the
 Privacy
 of
 Internet
 Users

Since
 the
 mid-­‐1990s,
 EPIC
 has
 routinely
 filed
 comments
 before
 federal

agencies
 on
 regulatory
 issues
 concerning
 Internet
 users’
 privacy
 interests.

Over
 the
 years,
 EPIC
 has
 submitted
 more
 than
 80
 comments
 on
 behalf
 of
 the

public
 in
 regulatory
 proceedings.
 Here
 are
 a
 few
 recent
 examples:

- In
 2009
 and
 again
 in
 2010,
 EPIC,
 supported
 by
 a
 coalition
 of
 consumer

and
 privacy
 organizations,
 filed
 complaints
 with
 the
 Federal
 Trade

Commission
 concerning
 Facebook’s
 changes
 to
 users’
 privacy
 settings

as
 well
 as
 to
 the
 company’s
 Terms
 of
 Service.
 The
 EPIC
 complaint
 was

widely
 credited
 with
 promoting
 a
 national
 discussion
 about
 privacy

safeguards
 for
 Facebook
 users.

- In
 2009,
 EPIC
 filed
 an
 FTC
 complaint
 describing
 Echometrix’s
 unlawful,

covert
 tracking
 of
 children’s
 online
 activities.
 Within
 a
 month,
 the

Department
 of
 Defense
 shut
 down
 sales
 of
 the
 software
 company’s

product
 to
 military
 families.
 The
 New
 York
 Attorney
 General

subsequently
 sanctioned
 Echometrix.
 And
 the
 FTC
 responded
 to
 EPIC’s

complaint
 by
 forcing
 the
 company
 to
 destroy
 data
 it
 had
 collected
 from

children.

- In
 2007,
 the
 FCC
 issued
 rules
 protecting
 consumers’
 telephone
 records

in
 response
 to
 a
 petition
 filed
 by
 EPIC
 in
 2005.
 At
 EPIC’s

recommendation,
 the
 FCC
 also
 undertook
 a
 rulemaking
 to
 establish

further
 safeguards
 for
 information
 stored
 in
 cell
 phones.

3

-

Previous
 complaints
 by
 EPIC
 at
 the
 FTC
 led
 to
 new
 security
 standards

for
 Microsoft
 Passport
 and
 the
 reform
 of
 the
 databroker
 industry

(Choicepoint).

•

Funding
 from
 the
 Google
 Buzz
 cy
 pres
 Fund
 will
 help
 EPIC
 continue
 to

represent
 Internet
 users’
 interests
 before
 federal
 agencies.

EPIC
 in
 Congress:
 The
 Voice
 of
 Internet
 Users
 on
 Privacy

Over
 the
 last
 17
 years,
 EPIC
 has
 testified
 in
 more
 than
 60
 Congressional

hearings
 on
 emerging
 privacy
 and
 civil
 liberties
 issues.
 Recent
 Congressional

hearings
 include:

- EPIC
 –
 “Online
 Privacy,
 Social
 Networking,
 and
 Crime
 Victimization,”

House
 Judiciary
 Committee,
 July
 28,
 2010

- EPIC
 –
 “Planning
 for
 the
 Future
 of
 Cyber
 Attack
 Attribution,”
 House

Science
 Committee,
 July
 15,
 2010

- EPIC
 –
 “Smart
 Grid
 Architecture
 and
 Standards:
 Assessing
 Coordination

and
 Progress,”
 House
 Science
 Committee,
 July
 10,
 2010

- EPIC
 –
 “An
 Examination
 of
 Children’s
 Privacy:
 New
 Technologies
 and

the
 Children’s
 Online
 Privacy
 Protection
 Act
 (COPPA),”
 Senate

Commerce
 Committee,
 April
 29,
 2010

- EPIC
 –
 “The
 Data
 Accountability
 and
 Trust
 Act
 and
 H.R.
 1319,
 the

Informed
 P2P
 User
 Act,”
 House
 Commerce
 Committee,
 May
 5,
 2009

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will help EPIC continue to
represent Internet users’ interests before Congress.

The
 EPIC
 Public
 Voice
 Project

EPIC
 has
 represented
 Internet
 users’
 privacy
 interests
 at
 international

meetings
 since
 1996.
 EPIC
 is
 the
 most
 widely
 recognized
 US-­‐based
 privacy

organization
 in
 the
 world.
 EPIC
 has
 appeared
 at
 numerous
 conferences
 and

hearings
 organized
 by
 national
 governments
 and
 international
 organizations

to
 protect
 Internet
 users’
 privacy
 rights.
 For
 more
 than
 15
 years,
 EPIC
 has

organized
 the
 annual
 civil
 society
 meeting
 held
 in
 conjunction
 with
 the
 annual

meeting
 of
 the
 International
 Privacy
 Protection
 and
 Data
 Protection

Commissioners.
 EPIC
 also
 participates
 in
 OECD
 meetings
 to
 advance
 Internet

users’
 privacy
 interests.
 Moreover,
 the
 EPIC
 Public
 Voice
 Project,
 which
 seeks

to
 promote
 civil
 society
 participation
 in
 decisions
 concerning
 the
 future
 of
 the

Internet,
 organizes
 conference
 and
 provides
 funding
 and
 support
 to
 other
 civil

society
 organizations.

4

•

Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will help EPIC continue to
represent Internet users’ interests at international organizations and to enable
the participation of other civil society groups in these meetings.

The
 EPIC
 Open
 Government
 Project

Since
 its
 founding
 in
 1994,
 EPIC
 has
 protected
 Internet
 users’
 privacy

through
 the
 highly
 regarded
 EPIC
 Open
 Government
 Project.
 EPIC
 publishes

the
 leading
 FOIA
 guide,
 Litigation
 Under
 the
 Federal
 Open
 Government
 Laws.

EPIC
 FOIA
 Requests
 routinely
 uncover
 surveillance
 proposals
 that
 implicate

Internet
 users’
 privacy
 rights.
 Here
 are
 a
 few
 recent
 examples:

- FBI
 abuses
 under
 the
 Patriot
 Act

- The
 National
 Security
 Agency’s
 efforts
 to
 extend
 control
 over
 critical

Internet
 infrastructure

- The
 Department
 of
 Justice’s
 efforts
 to
 expand
 data
 retention

obligations

- The
 General
 Services
 Administration’s
 deal
 to
 exempt
 social

networking
 web
 sites
 from
 federal
 privacy
 rules

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will help EPIC continue to
pursue important FOIA litigation and to safeguard Internet users’ privacy
rights.
The EPIC Amicus Curiae Project
EPIC
 protects
 Internet
 users’
 privacy
 through
 an
 expert
 “friend
 of
 the

court”
 program
 that
 identifies
 emerging
 privacy
 and
 civil
 liberties
 issues.
 EPIC

regularly
 files
 amicus
 curiae
 briefs
 in
 support
 of
 consumer
 privacy
 protections.

Over
 17
 years,
 EPIC
 has
 filed
 more
 than
 40
 amicus
 briefs
 in
 appellate
 courts,

including
 more
 than
 15
 briefs
 in
 the
 US
 Supreme
 Court.

 EPIC’s
 amicus
 work

has
 supported
 laws
 ranging
 from
 restrictions
 on
 the
 sale
 of
 prescription
 drug

data
 to
 statutes
 that
 restrict
 the
 disclosure
 of
 sensitive
 information
 by
 financial

institutions.

 Through
 its
 amicus
 project,
 EPIC
 works
 with
 experts
 to
 file
 factual

briefs
 that
 support
 consumer
 privacy
 policies.

 Recent
 examples
 include:

- EPIC
 Amicus
 Briefs,
 US
 Supreme
 Court
 2010
 Term:
 NASA
 v.
 Nelson,
 FCC

v.
 AT&T,
 Tolentino
 v.
 New
 York,
 Sorrell
 v.
 IMS
 Health.

- EPIC’s
 amicus
 brief
 was
 recently
 cited
 in
 Sorrell
 v.
 IMS
 Health
 by
 Judge

Livingston
 in
 support
 of
 a
 Vermont
 law
 that
 safeguards
 the
 medical

privacy
 interests
 of
 Vermont
 consumers.

5

•

Funding
 from
 the
 Google
 Buzz
 cy
 pres
 Fund
 will
 enable
 EPIC
 to
 continue

to
 file
 amicus
 briefs
 in
 support
 of
 consumer
 privacy.

EPIC’s
 Public
 Education
 Programs
 –
 Web
 Presence,
 Newsletter,
 and

Publications

EPIC
 established
 EPIC.ORG,
 the
 first
 website
 devoted
 to
 privacy
 issues,

in
 1994.
 Since
 that
 time,
 EPIC
 has
 provided
 critical
 resources
 that
 educate
 the

public
 about
 emerging
 threats
 to
 consumer
 privacy.
 EPIC
 publishes
 websites,

books,
 and
 a
 bi-­‐weekly
 electronic
 newsletter
 concerning
 consumer
 privacy.

- EPIC
 maintains
 EPIC.ORG
 and
 PRIVACY.ORG
 –
 two
 of
 the
 most
 popular

privacy
 websites
 in
 the
 world.
 EPIC’s
 sites
 educate
 consumers
 about

privacy
 threats.
 EPIC
 posts
 analyses
 of
 breaking
 privacy
 news
 and
 links

to
 tools
 that
 help
 consumers
 safeguard
 their
 personal
 data.
 EPIC
 further

educates
 Internet
 users
 through
 social
 media
 services,
 including

Twitter
 and
 Facebook.

- EPIC
 publishes
 the
 Privacy
 Law
 Sourcebook,
 a
 comprehensive
 resource

detailing
 laws
 that
 establish
 privacy
 safeguards
 and
 provide
 consumers

with
 recourse
 when
 their
 privacy
 rights
 are
 violated.
 EPIC
 also

publishes
 Privacy
 and
 Human
 Rights,
 the
 authoritative
 resource
 for

privacy
 laws
 and
 developments
 around
 the
 world.

- EPIC
 publishes
 the
 EPIC
 Alert,
 a
 bi-­‐weekly
 electronic
 newsletter
 that

reaches
 approximately
 20,000
 subscribers.
 EPIC
 has
 published
 the
 Alert

since
 1994
 –
 it
 is
 the
 longest-­‐running
 newsletter
 concerning
 electronic

privacy.
 The
 EPIC
 Alert
 is
 a
 crucial
 resource
 for
 consumers,

policymakers,
 researchers,
 and
 the
 media.

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will continue to support
EPIC’s broad-based public education programs.

The
 EPIC
 Privacy
 Coalition

EPIC
 protects
 Internet
 users’
 privacy
 interests
 through
 important

coalition
 efforts.
 EPIC
 established
 the
 Privacy
 Coalition
 in
 2001
 to
 support
 the

work
 of
 other
 privacy
 and
 consumer
 organizations
 and
 to
 encourage
 a

dialogue
 between
 the
 privacy
 community
 and
 decision
 makers
 in
 Washington,

DC
 and
 around
 the
 world.

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will support the Privacy
Coalition.

The
 EPIC
 Project
 On
 Government
 Accountability
 (POGA)

6

Following EPIC’s successful FOIA efforts to challenge the TSA’s airport
body scanner program, EPIC has launched a new program to utilize the
Administrative Procedure Act to ensure the accountability of federal agencies. EPIC
will combine its FOIA expertise with its growing APA expertise to pursue more
privacy issues on behalf of Internet users in court.

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will help EPIC launch the
EPIC Project on Government Accountability.

IPIOP:
 Training
 the
 Next
 Generation
 of
 Privacy
 Advocates
 and
 Scholars

Since 2001, EPIC has provided formal training for law school students
interested in Internet public interest work and privacy protection. Each summer,
several hundred applicants apply for the 10-week long clinic-style Internet Public
Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP). Over the past decade, EPIC has trained
more than 120 law school students, many of whom have gone on to work in
consumer organizations, at research institutions and universities, and in federal and
state government.

• Funding from the Google Buzz cy pres Fund will help EPIC continue to
train the next generation of privacy advocates and scholars.

Summary

EPIC
 occupies
 a
 unique
 role
 in
 the
 privacy
 world.
 EPIC
 is
 the
 leading

organization
 dedicated
 to
 Internet
 privacy.
 In
 fact,
 EPIC
 was
 founded
 in
 the

campaign
 to
 make
 encryption,
 the
 critical
 technology
 for
 Internet
 privacy
 and

security,
 widely
 available
 to
 Internet
 users.
 In
 other
 cy
 pres
 proceedings,
 federal

judges
 have
 explicitly
 set
 aside
 the
 bulk
 of
 the
 cy
 pres
 funds
 to
 support
 EPIC’s
 work.

See,
 e.g.,
 Mirfasihi
 v.
 Fleet
 Mortgage,
 No.
 01
 C
 722

 (N.D.
 Ill.
 July
 17,
 2007)
 at
 2.

Moreover,
 EPIC
 urges
 courts
 to
 ensure
 that
 cy
 pres
 awards
 in
 Internet
 privacy

lawsuits
 genuinely
 benefit
 class
 members.
 See,
 e.g.,
 EPIC’s
 January
 2010
 letter
 to

Judge
 Richard
 Seeborg
 in
 Lane
 v.
 Facebook,
 No.
 08-­‐03845
 (N.D.
 Cal.
 Aug.
 12,
 2008).

EPIC
 pursues
 a
 well-­‐established,
 broad-­‐based,
 widely
 regarded,
 and
 effective

program
 that
 protects
 privacy,
 educates
 Internet
 users,
 and
 directly
 advances
 the

interests
 of
 class
 members.
 In
 fact,
 EPIC
 pursued
 the
 same
 issues
 on
 behalf
 of

consumers
 before
 the
 Federal
 Trade
 Commission
 that
 gave
 rise
 to
 this
 settlement.

EPIC
 therefore
 requests
 a
 substantial
 part
 of
 the
 cy
 pres
 award
 in
 support
 of
 the

activities
 outlined
 above.

Testimonials

7

EPIC
 has
 been
 widely
 cited
 by
 experts
 and
 the
 national
 media
 for
 its

leadership
 role
 in
 the
 privacy
 field:

“EPIC
 is
 on
 the
 front
 lines
 of
 the
 most
 important
 civil
 liberties
 issues
 of
 our

age.”

–
 Bruce
 Schneier,
 security
 expert

“EPIC
 is
 one
 of
 the
 most
 important
 civil
 liberties
 groups
 in
 the
 country.”

–
 Prof.
 Anita
 Allen,
 legal
 scholar

“EPIC
 does
 wonderful
 work.
 I
 admire
 their
 efforts
 to
 protect
 the
 privacy
 of

Americans.”
 –
 James
 Bamford,
 author

“The
 EPIC
 FOIA
 litigation
 manual
 will
 help
 ensure
 that
 those
 who
 are

pursuing
 open
 government
 requests
 understand
 their
 rights,
 and
 the
 best

strategies
 to
 pursue
 their
 requests.”
 –
 Senator
 Patrick
 Leahy,
 co-­‐sponsor
 of

the
 OPEN
 Government
 Act
 of
 2007

“The
 EPIC
 ‘Privacy
 Law
 Sourcebook’
 is
 the
 Physician’s
 Desk
 Reference
 of
 the

Privacy
 World.”
 –
 Evan
 Hendricks,
 Privacy
 Times

“EPIC
 is
 a
 powerful
 voice
 in
 Washington.
 I
 am
 constantly
 amazed
 by
 how

much
 this
 dedicated
 group
 accomplishes.”
 –
 Hon.
 John
 Anderson,
 former

Presidential
 candidate

“EPIC
 has
 set
 the
 benchmark
 for
 relentless
 and
 principled
 advocacy
 on
 the

main
 issues
 of
 public
 concern
 about
 the
 Internet
 and
 computerization.”
 –
 The

Los
 Angeles
 Times

“Anyone
 concerned
 about
 the
 civil
 rights
 implications
 of
 the
 Clipper
 chip,
 the

Digital
 Telephony
 proposal,
 national
 ID
 cards,
 medical
 record
 privacy,
 credit

records
 and
 the
 sale
 of
 consumer
 data
 will
 find
 this
 Washington
 public

interest
 research
 center
 invaluable.”
 –
 The
 Atlanta
 Journal
 and
 Constitution

“EPIC’s
 Freedom
 of
 Information
 Act
 work
 attracts
 widespread
 praise.”
 –

Legal
 Times

“EPIC
 is
 a
 public
 interest
 research
 center
 based
 in
 Washington.
 It
 offers
 a

great
 collection
 of
 online
 resources
 about
 privacy
 and
 also
 provides

information
 on
 how
 you
 can
 act
 politically
 to
 motivate
 your
 government

representatives
 to
 protect
 your
 privacy.”
 –
 Christian
 Science
 Monitor

“I
 would
 highly
 recommend
 your
 program
 to
 law
 students
 looking
 to
 work

for
 a
 leading
 public
 interest
 group
 in
 D.C.
 I
 would
 recommend
 the
 cutting

edge
 research
 on
 privacy
 law
 as
 well
 as
 the
 high
 level
 of
 clerk
 involvement
 on

each
 project.”
 .
 .
 .
 “I
 found
 the
 process
 of
 researching
 and
 commenting
 on
 a

8

proposed
 rulemaking
 to
 be
 very
 interesting
 and
 a
 great
 learning
 experience.”

.
 .
 .
 “I
 also
 liked
 the
 variety
 of
 projects
 and
 the
 fact
 that
 they
 were
 focused
 on
 a

mission,
 which
 gave
 me
 the
 feeling
 that
 I
 was
 actually
 participating
 in

something
 that
 mattered.”
 –
 Former
 EPIC
 Clerks

9